February 20, 2020 at 11:30PM by CWC The alt-milk movement first came for our coffee orders, then it hit the ice-cream aisle. And now? It’s coming for our skin-care routines. “Milk” has commonly been used as a skin product descriptor, meant to describe the texture of a nice, creamy, formula… like a thick moisturizer you can’t help but want to frost your entire body with. But these days, it’s also an ingredient-list mainstay—in many different forms. From oat milk to almond milk to coconut milk, dairy alternatives bring along nourishing, good-for-skin properties that are worth it particularly during dry skin season. Scroll through for our favorites for dry skin, which now officially have a place in your A.M. latte order and your A.M. skin routine and are ready to be milked for all their worth. (Sorry.) Oat milk: Milk Makeup Vegan Milk Moisturizer, $38 Photo: Milk Makeup If MILK makeup’s latest launch is to be believed, the oat milk phenomenon isn’t going anywhere. The brand released its Vegan Milk Moisturizer earlier this year, which is packed with oat, fig, and other good-for-you things to hydrate and soften dry skin while also offering calming properties. Oat has long been lauded as a soothing skin ingredient (remember oatmeal baths, anyone?), so its hardly a surprise that the milk-ified version touts similar benefits. Soy milk: Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Facial Moisturizer with Total Soy Complex and Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $14 Photo: Aveeno The OG of the alt-milks has earned its place in
Day: February 20, 2020
What happens to your muscles when you snooze, according to sleep experts
February 20, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC Over the past three years, the recovery industry has been booming. Between stretch studios, $300 percussive therapy devices, and wearables that track your every move, it’s easy to drop hundreds of dollars to get your feet back under you after a hard workout. While all of this tech is undoubtedly flashy and effective, in a newsflash to exactly no one, the best way to recover is through sleep. In order to get stronger, your muscle fibers have to tear on a microscopic level and when they grow back, you gain strength. This process primarily happens while you’re sleeping, so when you don’t catch enough zzzs, it isn’t able to happen properly—studies show that both mental and physical performance are impaired after a single night of sleep deprivation. “Without sleep, muscles become more inflamed and begin to break down their own protein to provide building blocks—aka nitrogen and other protein components—to the rest of the body, which needs more protein to function during sleep deprivation,” says Ben Smarr, science advisor to Oura and assistant professor at UCSD Bioengineering & Data Science. “Sleep allows healing, but deprivation causes breakdown, making getting good sleep doubly important.” Not only that, but when you deprive your body of its most regenerative process or if you get poor sleep, you’re taking away a key element of recovery. “Non-REM sleep is associated with the highest levels of growth hormone release during a day, allowing muscles to heal and grow,” says Smarr.
This is how a longevity expert stocks his kitchen
February 20, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC The best part of every episode of MTV Cribs (RIP) was when the featured celebrity revealed what was in their fridge. Sometimes it was bottles upon bottles of champagne. Sometimes it was the same foods likely in your own fridge at the time. (Lunchables! Ice-Pops!) It’s similarly entertaining to get a look into healthy kitchens albeit for a slightly different reason: The sheer voyeuristic enjoyment is still there, but there’s also the idea that it could be unlocking a hidden health secret. Author of The Blue Zones Kitchen and longevity expert Dan Buettner discussed his diet and revealed what he stocks his kitchen during a recent conversation with members of Well+Good’s Facebook group Cook With Us. Buettner has built a career studying the best foods and habits linked to living a long, healthy life. Surely his grocery list reflects his insider intel. But what are the foods he always has stocked in his pantry? Despite traveling around the world to study centenarians, Buettner’s answer isn’t hard-to-find exotic foods—it’s staples found at any grocery store. “For the pantry, beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds,” he says. When it comes to the whole grains, he specifically likes steel cut oats and brown rice, two foods loaded with fiber. “These foods, along with fruits and veggies, are the staples of the longevity diets of the longest-lived, healthiest people in blue zones regions of the world,” says Buettner. His list of staples shows that eating foods
Feel less burnt out in 3 months or less using this 3-step roadmap
February 20, 2020 at 10:23PM by CWC To be upfront, there is no clear “cure” to burnout: it’s something clinical, chronic and can’t be solved overnight. But burnout experts agree that soothing burnout involves being really proactive in how to make time for yourself. Like, meaningful time, time that’ll revive you. Making time for yourself is rejuvenating, a break from the grind that chases all of us. Below, we’ve packaged a three-step plan (to be executed within 30, 60, and 90 days) outlined at the most recent Well+Good TALK for how to make that me time—with some flexibility on timing, of course. There’s plenty enough to be stressed out about, no need to fanatically cross off the days on you calendar! How to make time for yourself with a plan that actually works 1. Reflect on how you’re currently spending your time The first step in mitigating burnout is being able to recognize what’s burning you out in the first place. It’s easy to assume that burnout is all about being stressed and overworked, but my love, we’re all stressed and overworked. What’s actually meaningful is to do some deep diving and find out the why behind what things burn you out. “Most often it’s the relationship that we have with ourselves, our version of success and what it’s supposed to look like,” says Naomi Hirabayashi, founder and CEO of Shine. “So I think part of the first stage is like really sitting with that, and analyzing what could be. If it’s fear of failure, how can you start
Dunkin’ now serves matcha lattes at 8,400 stores nationwide
February 20, 2020 at 09:00PM by CWC A chain long known for serving donuts, Dunkin’ has been morphing into a low-key healthy-ish grab-and-go spot. The fast food chain already serves up plant-based breakfast sandwiches with Beyond Meat sausage, offers almond milk (and, rumor has it, oat milk come spring), and it just announced the addition of Dunkin’ matcha lattes to the menu, too. How matcha compares to green tea: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADUuZrFQX7M] On Wednesday, you will be able to get a Dunkin’ matcha latte at any of the 8,400 (!) locations in the United States. This is the first time Dunkin’ has offered matcha in any form on the menu, giving customers the option of blending it with their milk of choice. But, there’s a a catch. (Of course, right?) The matcha lattes aren’t exactly healthy. In fact, the first ingredient is cane sugar, then followed by matcha, and last, fruit pectin (used as a thickening agent.) This brings the sugar content between 21 and 43 grams, depending on what size you get. Still, if you’re on the hunt for a matcha latte for a morning or afternoon caffeine boost, this menu addition means it will now be easier than ever to get one. Is this the start of Dunkin’ matcha madness? Matcha donuts perhaps? While no matcha food is available at the moment, the chain did announce another new release: protein-muffins made with blueberries, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. While it’s, you know, still a muffin at the end
I’m a makeup artist, and here’s how I spent $143 to fill my personal kit
February 20, 2020 at 06:34PM by CWC Whenever there’s a new launch or a big sale, it can be tempting to drop your hard-earned coins on products that seem to-die-for amazing but probably won’t work their way into your everyday routine. I’m a sucker for creamy glitter eyeshadows, and I can count on one hand how often I used one in the past year. Chauntal Lewis, a makeup artist at West Hollywood salon Nine Zero One, says the essentials you use every day is where you should you’re putting your money. “When we spend over $60 to $100 on one product, we tend to not want to spend much more on other necessities,” says Lewis. “I generally spend the most on skin care and foundation, and have found great, affordable mascaras, brows products, bronzers, concealers, highlighters, and lip product without breaking the bank.” Below, Lewis shares the six products she relies on for her everyday look. You can get them all for less than $150. How a makeup artist spends $143 on just the essentials 1. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longer Foundation, $35 Lewis’ favorite buildable foundation for medium to full coverage comes from Fenty Beauty. “I love the instant-smooth, and shine-free finish,” says Lewis. “It gives a natural dewy look once settled in.” 2. Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara, $25 “This is, in my opinion, the best mascara for both length and especially volume, always leaving your lashes bold and voluptuous,” says Lewis. “I always get asked if
Your guide to perfectly-roasted vegetables, straight from a top chef
February 20, 2020 at 06:34PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNBjXk0c65I] Yes, eating vegetables can be delicious (and easy). Here’s how. One of the great things about vegetables is their versatility. From sautéed veggies to more creative cooking methods (zoodles, anyone?), there are countless ways to get your daily dose of greens. But according to celebrity chef Sam Kass, the best way to eat your vegetables is to roast them. “For me, roasting is one of the best ways to prepare vegetables,” he says in the latest episode of Well+Good’s new show Cook With Us. “It brings out so much flavor, and it’s super simple—you just throw them on a sheet tray and throw them in the oven.” But how to get that perfect, Goldilocks-like balance of tenderness and crunch…without setting your kitchen on fire? Never fear. Kass, who previously served as President Obama’s White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition (NBD…), offers a few tricks on exactly how to roast vegetables to perfection every single time. In general, he recommends getting your oven as hot as it can get and letting them bake for about 20 minutes. (Note: This might vary depending on your oven make.) Toss your vegetables beforehand in your favorite oil (such as avocado or olive), add some of your favorite seasonings or spice mixes, spread them out on a sheet pan, and you’re good to go. The second trick to getting a rich, deep roast might surprise you: “I often broil my vegetables,” Kass says.
Here’s what kind of soulful Pisces you are, according to your moon sign
February 20, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC Pisces is the 12th and final sign of the zodiac wheel—and, as a Pisces rising sign myself, I like to think that the astrological gods saved the best for last. Those born between February 19 and March 20 are known to be highly empathetic, creative, and compassionate, with an optimistic approach to romance that can sometimes veer into fantasy territory. But what if you’re a Pisces who doesn’t totally relate to your sun sign’s description? Well, there are many planets in a person’s natal chart, each one lending a different aspect to their personality. In this case, one of the most important is a Pisces’ moon sign, which is the sign the moon was in the moment they were born. A person’s moon sign represents the lens through which they experience and express their innermost feelings. Given that Pisces is such a deep-diving sign—its symbol is a fish, after all—it’s not uncommon for these people to be more in touch with their moon sign energy than most. “As a water sign, Pisces have a strong relationship with the moon,” says astrologer and women’s empowerment coach Natalia Benson, author of Mystical AF. “The moon, in general, rules emotions, and Pisces is a sign that can get on board with the emotionality that the moon represents.” “The moon, in general, rules emotions, and Pisces is a sign that can get on board with the emotionality that the moon represents.” —Natalia Benson, astrologer To find out
Welcome to the golden age of skin care peer pressure—have you tried retinol yet?
February 20, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC It likely started with moisturizer. It’s the first product most of us buy when someone suggests it’s time to get serious about skin care. Then, you add a step here or there over the years, like serum or SPF. And then maybe you start using eye cream after reading glowing product reviews, or incorporate a toner after an influencer beams on Instagram that it changed her skin. Later on, when your best friend won’t stop singing the praises of a new retinol at brunch, you throw that into the mix, too. “Why not?” you think. And boy are you glad you did because later on, nine people ask you whether or not you’re using “a vitamin A derivative”. Slowly—yet somehow, very suddenly—your skin-care routine goes from being two steps to twelve. Welcome to the golden age of skin-care peer pressure. It’s nice to see you, friend. The same FOMO force field that pulled your middle-school self to sneak off to the mall without your mom’s permission is now at work on your bathroom shelf. As skin care has grown to be the self-care instrument du jour, slathering creams, oils, and serums onto skin has become cultural currency. If “it bags” and “it leggings” were must-buys of the past, consider the rise and reign of Augustinus Bader or the candy-capped empire that Tiffany Masterson created when she launched Drunk Elephant as today’s proof that you’re clued in. “We’re barraged all day long on our
Your digestive health is about so much more than your family history
February 20, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC There might be a few things you already blame your mom for: your secret love of rom-coms, perhaps, or your undying drive for success thanks to years of helicopter parenting. But another “got it from my momma” (or dad, perhaps) trait that you might not have known about? Your digestive and gut health. That’s right. There are some types of digestive and stomach problems that are hereditary, meaning that you have them because either your parents have them or because they have genes that got passed along to you that gave you those issues. But it’s not so simple as having a “weak stomach” because Mom has one too. In case high school bio wasn’t a clear indication, genetics are complicated—particularly when it comes to your digestion. So we asked gastroenterologists to help us break it all down. Are stomach problems and other GI issues hereditary? Your genes—groups of DNA that you inherited from either parent—play a role in the conditions and functions of your body, including the digestive system. “Some inherited traits may skip a generation or may leave a person more predisposed to developing a condition if their family members have historically been diagnosed before them,” says Niket Sonpal, MD, a NYC gastroenterologist and adjunct professor at Touro College. “In some cases, knowing your family health history can help inform what to do to take care of your health in a preventative way,” he says—such as having a history of diabetes in